Emma Pritchard, Clarence Valley Independent

Hundreds of admiring spectators gathered beneath the glowing purple petals of the jacaranda trees in See Park, Grafton ... for the opening night of Illuminate Jacaranda ... “It was a stunning way to show off the beauty of the jacaranda trees”: Cherie Goodwin.

He’s done it. But for Steve Cansdell, it was never about the personal accolades. On October 14, close to 100 people gathered at Roches Hotel in Grafton to cheer, encourage, and support the former politician and Australian Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion as he set a new world record for the most solid punches landed in one hour on a punching bag by a male over 65 years of age.

Baked beans. That’s the secret to a long and happy life according to Kenneth "Ken" Weeks ... the Clarence Valley’s oldest resident, and the country’s oldest known living man, had his love of the humble dish immortalised courtesy of Heinz Australia, who commemorated his milestone by personalising 300 cans of his favourite food in his honour.

He knew they would give it their all and strive to achieve the best result, but when the 12–16-year-old Grafton City Juniors were announced as the winners of the 2023 Australian Fire Cadet Championships, Captain of Grafton City RFS Michael Rogan was overwhelmed with happiness and pride ... Established in 2007 by the RFS, the championships present the firefighters of tomorrow with opportunities to showcase their technical talent, enthusiasm, and leadership.

Wooli Public School welcomed more than 170 kindergarten to Year 2 students from several Clarence Valley schools when they hosted the 2023 K-2 Traditional Indigenous Games at Wooli Sports Oval on September 6 … participants took part in a number of modified activities and games which were based on the skills and learning resources taught to First Nations children hundreds of years ago.

A number of fires which have severely impacted sugarcane crops in the Lower Clarence during the past week are being treated as suspicious. Around 11:45pm on August 25, emergency services were called to three properties along Serpentine Channel South Bank Road, Bewleys Lane, and Beckmans Lane in Harwood, following reports of fires in sugarcane crops.

More than 2200 submissions were presented to Clarence Valley Council (CVC) Mayor Ian Tiley by General Manager of Marshall Notaras Hardwoods and Vice President of Timber NSW Donna Layton on August 28 as a formal response, rejecting a report made at a council meeting two months ago by the Biodiversity Advisory Committee (BAC) which proposes to phase out native logging on public land.

Lestatt Hammond-Hurst from Glenreagh will represent NSW in the baking category at the WorldSkills Australia 2023 National Championships in Melbourne ... “In preparation for the competition, I’ve been working hard on my consistency, and making sure everything I take out of the oven looks perfect and has the same texture and colour."

There will be plenty of adrenaline pumping through the veins of competitors and spectators when the Grafton Rodeo bucks into action on August 12. Featuring an impressive line-up of 30 well-bred, professionally trained bulls, and close to 50 highly skilled riders, the event will deliver an unforgettable and electrifying experience.

A stretch of water along the Clarence River at Maclean will become a fast-paced raceway on July 23 when the Northern Rivers Aquatic Club Inc host their inaugural Power Boat Circuit Race Day. Close to 30 competitors from as far as Northern Queensland and the South Coast of NSW will roar into action...